zulily and CEOs From Ben & Jerry's, Rent the Runway, & Qlik Are the 2015 Mid-Market Award Winners

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mid-market CEOs from various sectors will convene at the 2015 CEO Connection Mid-Market Convention, on October 18-21st at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania which is co-sponsoring the event now in its fifth year.  This premier, annual gathering is focused exclusively on the needs of CEOs of mid-market companies, defined by CEO Connection as companies with between $100 million and $3 billion in revenue. CEO Connection is part peer group, part co-op purchasing group and part trade association for the mid-market.

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On October 20, 2015, mid-market leaders will be recognized for demonstrating the leadership, creativity, generosity and other qualities that represent the true spirit of the mid-market at the 2015 CEO Connection Mid-Market Awards dinner. CEO Connection members and strategic partners select nominees for the CEO Connection special recognition awards as a way of drawing warranted attention to the mid-market as a job creator, force for economic growth and driver of social impact.

The 2015 Mid-Market CEO of the Year is Lars Bjork, CEO of Qlik. Recognized as an authority on driving company culture through an accessible management style, Bjork oversaw the company's initial public offering (IPO) in 2010 on the NASDAQ, which was recognized as one of the year's top tech IPOs. Bjork has attended the World Economic Forum, was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year national winner in the technology category and was invited to speak at the e-G8 Forum. More recently he was nominated to participate in Startup America, a White House initiative to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship. 

The 2015 Mid-Market Company of the Year Award has been presented to zulily. Recently acquired by Liberty Interactive, the online retailer was launched in 2010 by founders Darrell Cavens, President & CEO, and Mark Vadon, Chairman of the Board, and became publically traded in November 2013. zulily's unique offerings resonated with customers from day one and their passionate response led to tremendous growth for the business. As of first quarter 2015, zulily has 5 million active customers, with 86% of North American orders coming from repeat customers and 55% of global orders coming from mobile devices.  The company ended 2014 with net sales of $1.2 billion. 

The 2015 Social Impact Award winner is Jostein Solheim, CEO of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. Solheim is now in his fifth year as CEO at the iconic company and continues to champion the beloved ice cream maker as it navigates its next chapter in business history. The vision, according to Solheim, is that Ben & Jerry's must continue to aspire to be a social justice company that just happens to make ice cream. In addition to ensuring that the company and its roughly 500 employees continues Ben & Jerry's focus on Social Mission projects such as values led sourcing, supporting Fairtrade, non-GMO labeling, and other progressive endeavors, Solheim and his team work with Unilever, its parent company, to partner in 35 countries around the world to bring Ben & Jerry's message of "peace, love and ice cream" to the masses.

The 2015 Mid-Market Rising Star is Jennifer Hyman, Co-Founder and CEO of Rent the Runway. She co-founded the company in 2009, along with Jennifer Fleiss, and has since raised $116 million in venture capital. With over 5 million members, 350 employees and 300 designer brands, Rent the Runway is the largest rental platform in the world, democratizing luxury for women everywhere in the sharing economy. Hyman's vision is that every woman in this country — and eventually every woman in the world — should have a subscription to fashion.

"These awards are our way of shining a well-deserved spotlight on the impact that mid-market businesses have on our economy and society," states CEO Connection co-founder Kenneth Beck. "The general public regularly receives news about large and small businesses, but the mid-market is under represented when the media reports about the country's economic landscape. These businesses and CEOs show how much of a role the mid-market plays in the areas of innovation and job creation, which are pivotal to the health of our national economy now and in the future."

Contact: Staci Smith
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SOURCE CEO Connection

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